Gap Years Succeed Where High Schools Fail

In a recent post, I shared that one of the great outcomes of intentional gap years is that they develop in students a sense of purpose for their higher ed and professional careers. Take a look at research we’ve done at Thinking Beyond Borders, the educational non-profit I run, that shows this. Because of this impact, I posit that gap years are a critical intervention to improve learning and growth for college students.

Where has all the purpose gone?

Laurence Steinberg posted on Slate recently about the failure of American high schools. He used research and statistics to make his point that US high schools have not improved in 40 years. What he failed to do was identify why this is the case.

The answer is fairly simple: a lack of meaningful purpose.

In the 1960’s, when US public education was thriving, the purpose for the system was clear: the nation was in pursuit of greatness. President Kennedy ushered in the decade imploring young people to contribute to their country and the world. The space race, a technological revolution, and the Cold War inspired students and teachers in their work.

The fervor of these movements slowed in the mid-70’s, the same time that the statistics Mr. Steinberg cited show achievement in US high schools reaching a plateau. In the decades since, the story has been that we go to college to get a better job and more opportunity. Better than what? Opportunity to do what? More money may drive some, but for most teens, getting rich is so far into the future that it is an abstract and weak motivator.

It would be silly to suggest that the main cause of this failure to improve over 40 years is that students and teachers lost the sense of purpose that inspired their teaching and learning. Shifts in the economy, politics, culture, and the expanding volume of content to be learned have likely all played a role.

But, we should look deeper into the value of purpose. The correlation of the end of these periods of clear national purpose for learning and improvements in high school achievement is inescapable.

How do children succeed?

Paul Tough’s How Children Succeed pointed to research suggesting that “character”—a defined set of cognitive and noncognitive traits—is needed for students to persevere in school. He concludes the book by telling his own story of dropping out of Columbia University despite having the “character” he deemed necessary for success in our educational system.

What becomes clear from his personal account is that he dropped out because he didn’t have a sense of purpose. He saw education as a game that he knew how to play; “…and like millions of high-school rebels before me, I was convinced that what I was learning in the classroom didn’t really matter…” Tough eventually becomes a journalist because he took time away from school and found his passion and purpose in telling the stories of the people and places he encountered while travelling. He found value in those stories and thought they would be valuable to others.

Finding purpose in a gap year

Understanding “purpose” isn’t easy. Humans are inherently social beings. While receiving accolades from others is gratifying, humans tend to benefit far more from deeper relationships. We crave interaction, exchange, and kinship. We find these relationships not only in our friends and family, but also in our work, contributing efforts and expertise for the benefit of a cause greater than ourselves. When our learning is rooted in a cause with clear social value, we have a sense of purpose that leaves us resilient and inspired.

Students need to arrive on campus with a sense of what they want to learn and how they will use that knowledge in their professions and citizenship. This doesn’t require students to start college with an unwavering commitment to a major, but they should start with a commitment to their own learning and growth as tools that will serve them well in a society they want to contribute to.

Infusing high schools with curricula and programs that help develop meaningful purpose in students is a great idea. While we’re all waiting for that to happen, the gap year offers a powerful opportunity for students. There is an ever-increasing set of programs designed to develop purpose before starting college. The gap year is the best intervention available to ensure students are ready to take advantage of the incredible learning opportunities universities offer.

American high schools have failed to improve. Who knew? I don't know where you're located Mr. Pendoley, but I graduated from a midwestern high school in the 1980s and my kids will graduate from another midwest high school in a few years.

The biggest problem is that high school has changed very little since my day. My kids' future high school is highly concerned about earth-shattering topics like whether the football team will make it to the playoffs...whether the hemline of the cheerleaders' skirts is okay...and whether they can snooker the state into keeping their "Excellent" rating (new flash - some "excellent" schools in my state are more excellent than others).

Until they get rid of the stupid traditional 2 1/2 months off in the summer, and until they stop sniffing the jocks of kids who can shoot a 3-pointer or rush for a touchdown, nothing - and I mean nothing - will change for the better in your average American public high school.

Thanks so much for the comment. I agree, the focus of high schools is lacking and mis-directed. Many colleges aren't all that different. Talk to many high school and college students and we find their focus is largely on the social scene. While there's a degree to which this is developmentally appropriate, it's hard to imagine them getting excited about chemistry when it's taught as a series of equations whose only relevance is that they are on the AP test. For schools to improve they must shift their focus to directly engaging with issues that matter to society.

As a parent of current high school students--the focus in all our K-12 schools is simply--passing the tests. Teachers teach to the test, so kids do better and they keep their jobs. That's it, so the fact that sports and those extra-curriculars give them something to look forward to, at least keeps them there to graduate.

It was a sad day for me when during sequestration and the government shut-down, my ninth grader, who spends over two hours a day in a block social studies/language arts class came home and said "you keep talking about how important this thing is, so how come my social studies teacher says we don't have time to talk about it?"

Our schools reflect the values we GIVE them, and in embracing universal testing, a common core, and the standards movement, we chase away the very best teachers and tech our kids that all learning is formulaic, never to actually be applied, except on tests...

I would love to get gap year ideas that are local and don't cost a lot of money. A lot of programs are for middle/upper middle class families who have money. My daughter will be going to a community college, while working, in order to pay for books and expenses. What kinds of things can a young adult do as a "gap year" experience that's more affordable?

Thanks for the great question, Kim. I'm hoping to post about how to make gap years affordable in the coming weeks. For now, I would suggest a couple of options. First, many gap year program providers offer scholarships, sometimes even full scholarships. Take a look at their websites to learn more. Second, City Year and Americorps are two excellent gap year opportunities that pay students to participate and engage with local communities here in the US. These are competitive programs, but they are high quality and even offer education awards upon completion of their programs. I hope this helps!